Consumer group welcomes pilot project for prepaid power supply to Sabah squatters

File photo of SESB workers dismantling illegal electrical connections from a squatter colony in Sabah. A consumer group has commended the move to provide squatters with power supply through prepaid methods.

KOTA KINABALU: A pilot project allowing squatters to use prepaid methods for electricity supply is a worthy undertaking, says the Sabah West Coast Smart Consumers Association.

Association president David Chan said squatters and others had been illegally connecting and using electricity supply, causing not only losses to Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) but also posing a safety risk.

"Squatters have been illegally using power and water. This is causing lots of problems socially and economically," he said in a statement on Sunday (Feb 19).

ALSO READ: RM20mil lost annually to power theft by squatters, says Sabah Electricity

Therefore, the proposal to charge these squatters for electricity under a prepaid method was a good way to tackle the issue, he added.

Chan said various operations to curb the illegal usage of power including fines, arrests and such do not seem to be working as such activities still persisted.

He said this was also unfair to paying customers who had to put up with power disruptions caused by these illegal connections.

"We hope a more concrete and strict measure can be drawn up by the authorities to solve this issue once and for all," he said.

ALSO READ: Prepaid meter system to curb power theft in squatter areas, says Bung Moktar

On Friday (Feb 17), SESB said some RM20mil in revenue was lost each year to illegal electricity connections in Sabah and Labuan.

Its general manager (distribution) Addie Ahmad said such power theft was also known to cause about 25% of the electricity disruptions in both areas.

ALSO READ: Sabah considers offering water and electricity to squatters via prepaid method to dissuade theft

He claimed there were 193 squatter colonies in Sabah and Labuan, with an estimated 31,000 houses obtaining power illegally.

To resolve the issue, Addie said SESB had undertaken a pilot project by appointing an independent power distributor to supply electricity to squatter settlements in Sandakan district.